As Godfather’s title for this release suggests, Springsteen was here to say goodbye to the venerable old stadium, with a five show stand spread across the period 30 September-9 October 2009. This is alluded to by Springsteen, not just in his opening remarks, but through the performance of a new song written especially for the occasion, Wrecking Ball, debuted at the opening show and receiving its second performance here. In the song Springsteen assumes the persona of the stadium itself, which, fortified by its illustrious history, spits defiance in the face of the demolition engineers. The E Street Band is joined by trumpeter Curt Ramm, who is most prominent on the two faster instrumental sections which I found to be the most enjoyable facets of the song.

Commentators have been quick to pick up on the way in which the song’s theme seems to have a personal relevance. Village Voice writer Patrick Doyle identifies it as “a menacing, autobiographical number.” Writing about the first performance a few days earlier in the Music Mix section of the Entertainment Weekly website, Simon Vozick-Levinson states that, “Springsteen seemed to be taunting the eroding force of time itself…(And was he really just talking about the stadium, or did I detect a more personal note of 60-year-old rock’n'roll defiance in there too?)” The Pitchfork website concurs, surmising that the song is “dedicated to the old building, living, dying [and] turning 60,” as does the Rolling Stone website in its reference to Springsteen “clearly singing about his own life just days after his sixtieth birthday.” [read more]